Global expert services and consulting firm Berkeley Research Group (BRG) has announced the launch of a new office in Bangkok, Thailand, together with the hire of a forensic investigations team led by Managing Director Vorapong Sutanont. 

The Thai operation and addition of a substantial specialist team reflect both BRG’s continued global expansion and focus on forensic accounting and investigations as a growth area around the world, with a number of senior hires announced in the U.S. since 2023.  

Director Arisra Panuvatvanich will support the forensics team, which will work closely with BRG professionals including Joel Woodward, who has more than a decade of experience operating in the Thai capital, specialising in valuation and damages in international arbitration.

Sutanont has led risk-consulting practices for Big Four consulting firms and has more than 24 years’ experience in the US and across ASEAN advising multinational corporations and local clients, focusing on complex corporate investigations, cybercrime investigations, disputes analysis, fraud risk management, enterprise risk and governance, and process optimisation. He also served as chief risk officer for a large Thai conglomerate and has advised Thai government departments and leading industry associations.

Mustafa Hadi, leader of BRG’s Asia–Pacific (APAC) region, said, “The addition of a dedicated office in Bangkok greatly bolsters BRG’s longstanding offering in APAC with a highly qualified group of leading experts in the forensic investigations space, underlining BRG’s commitment to this important region. Vorapong and his team’s knowledge and expertise will help us expand our capabilities in Southeast Asia to match increasing demand from clients for a wider range of services as well as connecting BRG experts across other parts of the firm with their excellent local network and deep regional knowledge base.” 

The Bangkok office will serve as a hub providing services to BRG clients in the rapidly growing Mekong region, alongside the firm’s established footprint in Singapore and wider APAC offices. The office will also continue to grow BRG’s bench of experts in the region and support the expansion of the firm’s Economics, Disputes & Investigations practice, in particular its forensic accounting, eDiscovery and cyber forensics service lines.

Sutanont said the opportunity to join BRG’s global network of experts could not be missed. “In APAC, BRG’s Economics, Disputes & Investigations practice has expanded considerably to meet increasing client demand,” he said. “It’s critical for the corporate health of the region to improve corporate governance and crack down on corruption and misconduct. Forensic investigation needs to be at the heart of this effort, and I’m particularly excited to combine my team’s deep local knowledge with BRG’s international scale and experience to build a leading forensic investigations practice in Thailand and the wider region.” 

BRG Principal Executive Officer and President Tri MacDonald said, “The Bangkok office follows BRG’s launch in Brussels and Paris last year and we expect to share news of further expansion outside of the US very soon as we continue to ensure depth and breadth in key locations. This new office and additional team in Bangkok, with its broad spectrum of disputes and investigations services, marks the next chapter in the growth of our global footprint to serve both multinational and local clients.”